Irene C. Parodi v. Merit Systems Protection Board and Office of Personnel Management

PREGERSON, Circuit Judge:

Appellant Irene C. Parodi, a federal employee, was transferred to an office in which many other employees smoked. She began experiencing pulmonary difficulties. On her doctor’s advice, she took a leave of absence from work. She then applied for employment disability benefits, claiming her reaction to cigarette smoke rendered her disabled. Doctors who examined her on behalf of the government found that she had not suffered physical damage. They did conclude, however, that her hypersensitivity to cigarette smoke prevented her from working in a smoke-filled environment.…